PHD SUPPORT PROGRAMME EUCACIS

“The EU, Central Asia and the Caucasus in the International System” (EUCACIS) is a PhD Support Programme for Postgraduates and Doctoral Researchers in Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus, organised by the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) and the Centre international de formation européenne (CIFE). Funded by the Volkswagen Foundation and the Erasmus+ programme, it offers scholarships for three years to excellent postgraduates who are working on a doctoral thesis in political science, contemporary history or economics on a topic related to its thematic focus at a university or academy of sciences in the Southern Caucasus or Central Asia (including Afghanistan, the Kashmir region in India and the autonomous region Xinjiang in China).

It provides intensive PhD research training and support until its programme participants submit their doctoral theses, and helps them establishing their own networks with other young researchers in the target regions and in Europe. This will be achieved through four international conferences in Almaty, Berlin, Yerevan and Bishkek; three PhD schools in Berlin, Yerevan and Istanbul; a 3 week research training stay; and continuous online coaching.
The working language of the programme is English.

For further information about the EUCACIS programme please refer to our brochure.

Programme Objectives and Offers

It is the objective of the EUCACIS programme to support excellent doctoral students in writing their thesis and obtaining their doctorate (PhD or equivalent academic degree in the third cycle of higher education). Therefore, it provides intensive PhD research training to bring its participants closer to international standards, and helps them to establish their own networks with other young researchers.

The EUCACIS fellows will be enabled to:

improve their academic skills in research and writing for conducting and completing their doctorate/PhD;

improve their methodological competences in accordance with international standards;

write policy and research papers;

present their findings at international conferences and workshops;

establish networks with other young researchers from the greater Central Asia, the Caucasus, Europe and other regions;

write and publish in English;

prepare and conduct research projects, workshops and conferences.

In particular, the programme offers to its participants:

a scholarship of 300 Euro per month for three years for participating in the programme, writing and completing a PhD thesis;

an additional travel grant of up to 500 Euro for conducting field research;

four international conferences with academics, experts and officials in Almaty, Berlin, Yerevan and Bishkek;

three PhD schools including training components and intensive discussions of PhD projects and research or policy papers in Berlin, Yerevan, and Istanbul;

one research training stay for individual training, supervision and own research in Berlin;

mentoring by post-doctoral researchers for three years;

continuous online coaching, including three courses on methodology in political science, economics and contemporary history;

up to 25 ECTS credits for active participation in the PhD schools, the research training stays, the online courses and the writing of one research or policy paper;

joint publications in the framework of the project;

opportunities to present themselves and their research results in the online directory and the regular EUCACIS newsletters;

an opportunity to become part of the EUCA(C)IS network of young researchers from Central Asia and the Caucasus;

a certificate for participating in the activities of the programme, especially in the conferences, PhD schools, the research training stay and the courses, certifying the ECTS credit points achieved.

Scholarships and Duties

Scholarships
The selected EUCACIS fellows will receive:
- a scholarship of 300 Euro per month for three years;
- an additional travel grant of up to 500 Euro to conduct field research for the PhD thesis or the research/policy paper;
- travel costs and accommodation during the four international conferences, the three PhD schools and the research training stay.
The payment of the scholarship will be made in several instalments linked to the active participation in the programme and to the progress in writing the doctoral thesis and the research/policy paper.

Costs
The selected EUCACIS fellows do not have to pay a tuition fee for participating in the programme, but the EUCACIS PhD support programme does not cover any costs in addition to those mentioned above. The EUCACIS fellows are expected to cover costs such as for internet access, computers, office supplies, health or other insurances, and visa fees on their own or from their scholarships.

Duties
For receiving the scholarship and the travel grant and for being part of the EUCACIS PhD support programme, the fellows are expected to:
- work on their doctoral thesis as agreed in the working plan at the beginning of the programme;
- write one research or policy paper in English and prepare an advanced version of it for publication;
- actively participate in all online and presence programme elements taking place in Armenia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey;
- contribute to the EUCACIS newsletter and the online directory.

Eligibility

Target Region
To be eligible for the EUCACIS PhD Support Programme, applicants have to be citizens of one of the following countries and they have to be enrolled as a PhD student/doctoral researcher at a university in one of these countries/regions:

Afghanistan

Georgia

Tajikistan

Armenia

India (just Kashmir)

Uzbekistan

Azerbaijan

Kazakhstan

Turkmenistan

China (just Xinjiang)

Kyrgyzstan

Additional Requirements
In addition to the above mentioned requirements applicants have to be postgraduates working on their doctoral thesis on atopic related to the programme focus to obtain the doctorate (PhD or equivalent academic degree in the third cycle of higher education) in political science, international relations, contemporary history, economics or a closely related field of studies from an institution (university or academy of sciences) in the target region.

They have to fulfill ALL following compulsory requirements:

Advanced stage of doctoral studies;

university degree in the second cycle of higher education;

enrolment as a doctoral student in political science, international relations, contemporary history, economics or a closely related field of studies at an institution (university or academy of sciences) in the target region;

fluency in English;

working on a doctoral thesis (also advanced projects) on a topic related to the programme focus (for details see below) to obtain a doctorate (PhD or equivalent academic degree in the third cycle of higher education);

approval of participating in the programme by the doctorate supervisor and employer(s);

willingness to complete a doctoral thesis and write and publish an additional research/policy paper in English within the next three years;

willingness and availability to actively participate during the next three years in all online and presence programme elements, taking place in Armenia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey;

internet access;

availability to participate in the application process during May to August 2016 (for details see the section “application process”).

Topics Related to the Programme Focus

The doctoral theses of the EUCACIS fellows have to relate to the thematic field “The EU, Central Asia and the Caucasus in the International System”. This includes the following fields of research:

bilateral relations between states of the EU, Central Asia and/or the Caucasus,

Other topics are conceivable. Please consult the EUCACIS team before applying if you are not sure whether your PhD thesis topic fits in the framework of the programme.

Launch of the PhD Support Programme EUCACIS for students from Central Asia and the Caucasus

CIFE and the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) start the PhD Support Programme “The EU, Central Asia and the Caucasus in the International System“ (EUCACIS). Funded by the Volkswagen Foundation and the Erasmus+ Programme, it offers scholarships for three years to excellent postgraduates who are working on a doctoral thesis in political science, contemporary history or economics on a topic of the programme’s focus at a university in the Southern Caucasus or Central Asia (including Afghanistan, the Kashmir region in India, and the autonomous region Xinjiang in China).

It is the objective of the EUCACIS programme to provide intensive PhD research training for its participants to bring them closer to international standards, to support them until they submit their doctoral theses, and to help them establish their own networks with other young researchers in the target regions and in Europe. This will be achieved through four international conferences (in Almaty, Berlin, Yerevan, and Bishkek); three PhD schools in Berlin, Yerevan and Istanbul; two research training stays; and continuous online coaching.

The programme is open for postgraduates who have started to work on a PhD or an equivalent degree at a Central Asian or South Caucasian university in the fields.

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With the support of the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union

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